Fort Ord veterans cemetery gets environmental approval

SEASIDE &GT;&GT; The Fort Ord veterans cemetery has received environmental approval, making it more likely the project could start this year.

The state and federal Veterans Affairs departments have concluded there is "no significant impact" to the environment from the project.

Following a 36-day comment period and some environmentalist backlash, the finding was signed by officials last week.

The statue of limitations to legally challenge the report — on the overall finding or supporting information — is Sept. 14.

If there are no challenges, an application is sent to the secretary of Veterans Affairs for the approval of a $6.7 million grant.

LandWatch Monterey County and Keep Fort Ord Wild sent letters to the state arguing a more comprehensive environmental impact report for the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery was needed.

Keep Fort Ord Wild officials declined to comment on what the organization's next steps were. LandWatch did not return a call for comment.

"This is a complete breakdown in the planning process for Fort Ord," Michael Salerno of Keep Fort Ord Wild said.

The environmental assessment looked at the 16.9-acre first phase of the project, not the eventual 84.4-acre site.

Keep Fort Ord Wild and others argued the environmental assessment needed to look at the whole project together in order to get a better idea of what the impact was.

In its report, the state Department of General Services said the argument was invalid because funding was only in place for what the environmental review considered.

The first phase is anticipated to accommodate burials for the next decade. It includes a ceremonial entrance, columbarium, memorial walk, roads, administration and maintenance complex and assembly areas.

Public comments received on the project, attached to the report, are strongly in favor of moving ahead with the project following the environmental assessment.

Of roughly 70 comments submitted, 45 supported the current process, nine opposed in favor of a full EIR and about 16 miscellaneous comments were sent about different aspects of the project.

A commenter only identified as Kip, in favor of a full EIR, stressed the state do "the whole enchilada."

"I'm a resident and I barely flush my toilet so as to conserve water," Kip wrote. "Pretty disgusting, but necessary for our current drought situation, unless you're somebody just trying to make a buck and who cares nothing for our local population."

Another commenter, who is identified as "Fred Flint Stone," said the environmental assessment was enough for the project.

"I would hope that people who love plants more than people would not be able to cause any undue delay on the start of this project," he wrote.

Some of the commenters are well known. Jimmy Panetta, Veterans Transition Center head William "Terry" Bare, James Bogan of the United Veterans Council, Dale Ellis of the county Hospitality Association and Carmel Mayor Jason Burnett wrote letters in support of the environmental assessment.

In its response to Keep Fort Ord Wild and others, the state said it was "not reasonably foreseeable at this time" to consider the entire 84.4-acre project because funding is unknown for anything past the first phase. Also, the report said the cemetery's other phases at this time are "too conceptual" to be used in the environmental process.

It also said phase 1, on its own, satisfies the need for a veterans cemetery for the Monterey Bay region and would serve more than 800 veterans and eligible dependents yearly within a 75-mile radius.

The state did agree, based on Keep Fort Ord Wild's suggestion, to change a part of the report which claimed the veterans cemetery was in the 1997 Fort Ord Reuse Plan.

A plan for a veterans cemetery was included in a 2001 base reuse plan land-use concept but never officially adopted.

After years of fundraising, public meetings and an election, organizers greeted news of the assessment with relief.

"It's about time," said Sid Williams, secretary of the county United Veterans Council.